Synonyms
Definition
Speaking two language, with varying degrees of proficiency.
Introduction
Language is the means by which a message is communicated. Language can be spoken, heard, written, and/or read. Language consists of phonology (rules governing how sounds are formed in words), morphology (units of meaning), semantics (vocabulary and rules governing word combinations), syntax (formation of sentences), and pragmatics (how language is used in interaction and the intent or meaning of messages). This entry will address issues of monolingualism and bilingualism with regard to the evolution of language. The foremost difference is that a monolingual has fluency in one language, while bilinguals speak two languages, with varying degrees of proficiency, i.e., perfect ability is not required. Bilinguals speak their languages at the levels that are needed, not always with proficiency.
According to Chomsky (1965), most individuals are born with the capacity for learning and...
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Prestwood, L., Salnaitis, C., Brice, A. (2017). Bilingualism. In: Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_2419-1
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